School District Weapons Policy

The School Board's firearms, deadly weapons, and weapons policies and administrative regulations have been updated to meet Alaska Department of Education reporting requirements.

Among the changes are that all knives, regardless of blade length, are categorized as deadly weapons. State law dictates a 30-day minimum suspension from school for deadly weapon possession.

Important Points for Parents and Students• Revisions to School Board Policy are driven by Alaska department of education reporting requirements for weapons possession, threatened use while in possession of, or use of firearms or deadly weapons while on school grounds or at school sponsored events.

• There are three categories of weapons addressed in the policy:1) Firearms, defined by federal statute 18 USC Section 921(a), is a weapon expelling a projectile by action of an explosive, and includes bombs and grenades. 2) Deadly weapons are devices that are readily capable of causing death or serious physical injury. State statute defines all knives, regardless of length of blade, as deadly weapons.3) Weapons cause bodily harm or place a person in fear of bodily harm.

• Federal and state law dictate original disciplinary minimum mandatory consequences:1) Firearms Offenses: Automatic one calendar year (365 days) expulsion from school. The Superintendent may issue a modification to full calendar year expulsion in writing on a case-by-case basis.2) Deadly weapon possession (including all knives): 30-day minimum suspension from school. The Superintendent may issue a modification to the minimum in writing on a case-by-case basis.3) Deadly weapon (including all knives) threatened use while in possession of: 30-day minimum suspension from school. The Superintendent may issue a modification to the minimum in writing on a case-by-case basis.4) Deadly Weapon use: 45-day minimum suspension from school. The Superintendent may issue a modification to the minimum in writing on a case-by-case basis.5) Weapons do not have state imposed original disciplinary minimum mandatory consequences, but the administrative regulations suggest minimums for threatened use and use of weapons.6) In the event of a modification to the mandatory consequence, school administrators gather information regarding the violation and prepare a written recommendation regarding the modification to the original minimum mandatory consequence and submit it to the Superintendent. The Superintendent has the discretion to modify the mandatory minimum original discipline in writing on a case-by-case basis.

• Everyday objects, such as pencils, can be considered a weapon when its possession is for the purpose of causing a person bodily harm or placing a person in fear of bodily harm. Use of everyday objects as weapons can result in a 30-day out of school suspension.